Tiny Crush
by minorshan
Summary: Emma's back from Manhattan and Anton may have a bit of a crush on the blonde that taught him that not all humans are bad. Of course, she may have a little too much on her mind to notice. Possibly first TinySwan ever? Unreciprocated. Just a silly little oneshot..


**A Tiny Crush**

Emma Swan sat swirling the little black plastic sword in her whiskey sour. She had just gotten back from Manhattan, and was trying to block out the insanity that had taken place after she'd found "Baelfire". But the utter harshness of straight whiskey was a bit much at the moment, so she settled for a sweeter compromise. Besides. She felt kinda bitter and sour at the moment.

Most of what had occurred was easy enough to pretend hadn't happened at the moment, but the fact that Henry had run off to help Neal move in to Granny's Inn, rather than come with her to eat wasn't one of them. Now she wasn't hungry either.

The blonde stabbed the little sword through her drink's maraschino cherry rather violently before bringing it up to twirl before her eyes. "Ha! We, my brothers and me used to do stuff like that!" a very familiar, but changed voice said. She startled and her eyes darted toward the speaker as she saw his hand come looming at her, and she flinched as she was sent into flashback of being crushed by a giant's hand. And then it simply came to rest on her shoulder. It was _only_ the size of her shoulder.

She blinked.

And there was the giant's smiling mug, only... smaller. The last time she'd seen him his eye was the size of her head. "Don't tell me that there are people even smaller than you... er, us, now I guess, in these lands?"

She blinked again. Then gaped.

The shrunken giant pulled back his hand. "Oh, sorry, guess know one told you I came here? I heard you were out of town, so when I saw you in the diner, I just thought I'd say hello..."

"Okay... but how did you...?" she stuttered. "Why are you so-"

"Tiny?" He shrugged in embarrassment. "That was Cora and Hook's doing."

"Guess I shoulda' just let you step on them."

"Nah, it's okay. It's kinda nice to have people around. And when everything is made for your size you don't feel so small..." Emma nodded.

"Storybrooke is the first place I could ever call home."

The tiny giant nodded sadly and the blonde remembered their conversation about his losing his family. But his eyes quickly brightened. "So, what's this you're drinking?"

"Saddle up and I'll get you one," she said, patting the next stool over."Ruby, another for my friend here?" This wasn't something she could have ever predicted, even after she and the giant had come to an understanding back in the Enchanted it was a better distraction than she could possibly had derived herself. As he settled in and they waited he extended his hand.

Emma couldn't help but hesitate for a second, but returned the couldn't help but notice he had rather small hands for a guy, and hers actually slightly enveloped his. She smirked.

"Name's Anton."

"Pleased to meet you Anton." Emma furrowed her brow as she smiled. Was he blushing? Had to be her imagination.

"Quite a grip you've got there," he offered.

Emma barked a laugh. "I could say the same to you!"

Anton squirmed, and now he was truly beet red. "Yeah. Sorry about that..."

Emma shrugged. "Hey, I'd drugged you. Tried to rob you. And that was after a lot of crappy other humans killed your family. I get it. I don't think you broke any ribs, anyway."

The tiny giant shrugged meekly. "I'm glad. You're good people Emma. I hate that I nearly killed the first good human I ever met - your parents being the next ones."

Emma raised her eyebrows. She had gone straight to Granny's upon arrival and hadn't seen them yet, but Snow had never mentioned this on the phone.

"Yeah, they kinda had to handle me going on rampage when Regina made me big again - well, Leroy calls it a tantrum now," he laughed. "And then David, well, everyone, saved my life when I returned to this size."

Oh. So her mother was protecting her from worrying. Which given the current state of things, she was really appreciative of the gesture. Still, she was _really _going to have to get caught up asap. She pulled the cherry from its brutal fate and into her mouth, tossing the sword pick back into her now empty glass.

Anton took a sip after his drink arrived and made a face. "Oh, sorry, probably a little harsher than whatever giants drink?" She pictured wheatgrass beer for some reason.

But Anton smiled. "No, that sweetness at the end - it kind of reminds me of this drink we'd make after the bean harvest. From fermented stalk leaves. Just haven't had one in many years, since I lost my brothers..." He picked up his own little sword and followed Emma's lead, enjoying the oddly sugary berry as he eyed the little toy. "Are we allowed to keep these, or..?"

"Hey, if you want it, take it. It'll just go into the trash if you don't. We make 'em down here, we don't steal 'em," she offered him with a smile to make sure he wouldn't take that as an attack.

He returned the smile. How couldn't he? It was like a little memento of home. Plus, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen was looking at him with such friendliness. Unlike when she'd been so small, or perhaps he so big, he couldn't really appreciate her eyes. They were bigger than he would have thought, and sparkled a magnificent green and blue that reminded him of the stalks in the sky. Plus, they didn't hold that strange mask that the first beautiful lady he'd met had. Emma's were open and honest, and he noticed a bit sad right now. He wished he could wrap an arm around her and comfort her, but given how they met... he knew there was no way. He'd scare her. He didn't blame her.

"Sorry about your family..." Emma started again awkwardly.

Anton shrugged. "Hey, it's not your fault. And your father saved my life, and you spared mine, even after your uncle helped kill most of my family with Jack."

Emma looked shocked. "What are you talking about?! I don't have an uncle... do I?" Crazier and crazier. Her brow furrowed as she thought back to Henry's book. David became a prince because his twin brother died... "James?"

"That's the one."

"I thought he died."

"Not soon enough," grumbled Anton darkly. He shook his head. "Sorry. He's your family."

Emma shrugged with a laugh. "Hey, I hear he was kind of a bastard, and I _know_ King George was. Is." The story of the whole Red incident had truly pissed her off. She'd have hunted him down if she had more than five minutes at a time.

"But anyway... without you, I wouldn't have my new brothers, or get to do what I was born to do. You got me my home back, in a way."

"How do you mean, brothers?"

"Well, I took a cutting with me, from my lands. With it, I might be able to grow beans." Emma's eyebrows shot up, but she let him continue. A _lot_ of catching up to do. "And the dwarves offered to help grow them, and made me one of their own." He held up a pickaxe she hadn't noticed he'd had at his side, leaned up against the counter. It was emblazoned with 'Tiny'.

Emma smiled. "Well, congratulations." She could appreciate finding home more than most, even when they weren't 'your blood'.

"Thanks," and he was blushing again, the red only riding as he swirled his sword around his drink, staring at it. Finally, he took a swig. "Hey, would you like to come see the crops sometimes?"

Emma nodded. "Sure thing. How about tomorrow morning? I can stop by on patrol. I'm sure Mary and David can give me directions."

"Sure! Great!"

Emma smirked and patted him on the shoulder as she pulled herself to her feet. It was time to get back to her apartment. "It's a date."

Anton couldn't help the excitement in his chest, and he felt his face flush harder. Even though he knew it wasn't a real 'date', and they'd never have that, it was okay. Maybe he would find the right girl, maybe not.

"And no more... tantrums, okay?" called out Emma as she paused at the diner door. "I'm Sheriff, and I don't need a poisoned toothpick to take you out," she smirked. " So, behave yourself... Tiny," she teased.

Anton sighed. A crush was just fine for right now.

As the door swung swung shut behind Emma she found Ruby smirked at her as she wiped down the outside tables. "What?" asked the blonde. "Something in my teeth?"

Ruby's smirk got even broader. "You really don't know?"

"Know _what?_"

"Anton. He's _totally_ crushing on you!" Ruby laughed.

Emma's brows furrowed. "What? No! _NO!_ What?" she sputtered and turned back to look through the diner's glass doors, only to find the teddy bear of a guy stealing glances at her. Not her ass, like most men, just goofy glances. "Oh, _God_," she groaned.

"I think it's sweet," remarked Ruby with a shrug and a grin.

Emma just facepalmed as she walked away. _'Cause I needn't that too right now..."_


End file.
